Rustic DIY Backyard Wedding

Callan and Brett's gorgeous backyard wedding in Oklahoma was at Cedar Gate, a property owned by the bride's family. Between her memories of cutting down Christmas trees there as a child and generations of family history, Callan knew the lodge her uncle built on the property would be perfect for their wedding celebration. As a bride on a budget, Callan tackled a number of DIY projects, ranging from centerpieces to the invitations! Her aunt made their beautiful cake, and both families helped provide the food. blue elephant photography captured these lovely images of their wedding!

A DIY backyard wedding at a rustic family home in Oklahoma

When we began to plan our wedding, we envisioned a simple ceremony with only our closest friends and family. It was incredibly important to us that the people we shared our big day with were those we had shared our life with. As we continued to go through the process, the driving force was that we wanted it to be a casual celebration that would make people feel like we were all part of one big family. I spent an entire year collecting vintage green glass, in the form of chalices, candy dishes, vases, and even drinking glasses. We used them as part of the centerpieces on the tables by planting various succulents and dusty miller in them. For the centerpieces, we also spent an entire afternoon cutting our own slices of tree trunks and staining them to set the vases on. I have to say, my dad was a good sport about it!

At the end of the day, almost everything was DIY. I painted the signs to direct people to the wedding using old barn wood. I designed the invitations myself and had them printed. (And they were perfect, thanks to Blue Elephant Photography's gorgeous photos!) We purchased and set up our own food. My mom made the flower girls' precious dresses, while I made their necklaces to match. My mom was absolutely incredible throughout the entire process, and she helped me do so much. I could never had done it without her! – Callan